The Future of Fuel Cells in the Automotive Industry: Green Vehicles Articles: Eco20/20

The Future of Fuel Cells in the Automotive Industry

Global warming, oil dependency and soaring gas prices is almost enough to make you stop driving. If only there was a car that ran on an abundant resource, had the same performance as a combustion-engine vehicle, and didn't produce any harmful byproducts. Actually, there is an automotive technology in the works that does exactly that. The hydrogen fuel cell may be the answer to the prayers of car enthusiasts everywhere.

Hydrogen fuel cells combine hydrogen, one of the most abundant elements on Earth, with oxygen to create electricity. Around 90% of this energy is utilized, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. Amazingly, the only byproduct of this process is water. No toxins or harmful emissions involved. This technology has been under research for over 20 years and has been implemented in unmanned aircraft, ferries, forklifts, and a host of other machinery. Unfortunately, however, it is currently unavailable for widespread public use.

Why aren't we all using this wonderful technology? The answer lies in the many hurdles that have yet to be overcome. First, hydrogen fuel cells are currently very expensive because they require large amounts of titanium. This keeps the cost of fuel cell vehicles too high to be practical for most drivers. There is also a concern about the lack of power in these cars. While many are concerned for the environment, few are willing to sacrifice the power of combustion engines. Finally, there is a major concern that water in the cells may freeze at low temperatures, rendering the car inoperable.

Luckily for eco-friendly car lovers, great gains are being made in the effort to overcome these problems. Scientists at Purdue University have developed hydrothermolysis, which combines hydrolysis and thermolysis into a single process. While neither hydrolysis nor thermolysis may be used in fuel cells alone, the combination of the two converts hydrogen-rich ammonia borane into energy. This method is twice as effective as old fuel-cell technology and operates at half the temperature. It also solves the long-running problem of keeping hydrogen at extremely high pressures. Hydrothermolysis fuel cells require only 200psi compared to the traditional 5,000psi. The only challenge left to solve is how to recycle the ammonia borane to its original quality so there is no waste produced.

Another promising breakthrough has been made by ACAL Energy, based in England. Researchers at ACAL have discovered a way to replace the current polymer fuel used in the cells with a cheaper liquid catalyst, reducing cost by 40%. This decreases the complexity of needed equipment, still produces zero harmful emissions, can travel the distance of combustion-engine cars, and will cost less to run than all-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

With amazing discoveries like these, fuel cell cars are becoming a possibility for us all. In fact, Daimler recently demonstrated its Mercedes-Benz B-Class fuel cell vehicle on a 125-day trip (70 days of driving) across 14 countries. The B-Class starts at temperatures of 0 degrees, has a 250 mile range and accelerates to over 60mph in just over 11 seconds. Another model, the Hyundai Tucson ix is due to be available to the public in 2015. So, eco-conscious car lovers rejoice and get ready for the ride of your life.